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    Is the M14x r2 with i5 a good laptop for heavy music production and DAW usage??

    Discussion in 'Alienware 14 and M14x' started by devaskygordon123, May 19, 2013.

  1. devaskygordon123

    devaskygordon123 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Im in the market for a new laptop that i plan to use primarily for music production, recording, mixing/mastering, etc. I'll be mainly using FL Studio, Cubase, and may soon upgrade to Pro Tools. I've researched this laptop and it seems to fit my purposes well, but you guys know more about this than i do.... so would this laptop work well as my primary music workhorse? also, i know the i7 can hyperthread but im not sure how much ill need that feature, so i wasnt planning on getting the i7 but should i?? Or is the i5 version good enough??
     
    devaskygordon123, May 19, 2013
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  2. romanstine9

    romanstine9 Notebook Enthusiast

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    the i5 is more than enough. enjoy
     
    romanstine9, May 19, 2013
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  3. Kluchy

    Kluchy Notebook Geek

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    The i5 should be great for working on audio files.
    I assume you will be using high quality headphones, but the speakers on the M14x are superb.
     
    Kluchy, May 20, 2013
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  4. Rogue-OP

    Rogue-OP Notebook Consultant

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    I produce using Abelton & Reason on my Alienware m15x and recently got an m14x r2 for the same thing.

    Believe me when I say you will need as much CPU firepower as possible. Downgrade the graphics card, and you won't need more than 8gb of ram. An SSD will definitely help as well. If your budget is tight, then get the fastest i5 possible. If you are still learning to produce, then you might be hitting your own ability ceiling first before you end up having to freeze individual tracks to free up processor power. I would recommend an i7 over an i5 for music production, but then again check with your software company to see if they support multiple core CPU's.
     
    Rogue-OP, May 31, 2013
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  5. mcwayne126

    mcwayne126 Newbie

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    I produce using FL studio, and while the i5 should be adequate, I would definitely going for the i7 if you can afford it. I did, and it was definitely worth it.
     
    mcwayne126, May 31, 2013
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  6. devaskygordon123

    devaskygordon123 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Ok thanks guys. but i was just wondering, If i do end up going with the i5, can i upgrade to the i7 later on?? sorry if this is a stupid question, im just a novice at this
     
    devaskygordon123, Jun 1, 2013
    #6